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For only $400 how accurate can you get a 22lr?

Is the savage heavy barrel 22lr $ for $ a deal in accuracy? 1 MOA?
Any 22 lr to get 1/2 MOA... Little could you spend?
Thank you
 
I purchased a Savage Mark II TRR-SR, with high hopes. I have just about any .22 LR known to man, ammo. Well, at least 30-35 different types, brands and velocity ranges. From Eley Tennex down. So far I have been very disappointed in this gun. With or without can, best so far has been about 1 MOA at 50 yards. That's with a Nikon 6.5 x 20 scope on it. If anyone has any suggestions on how to improve on it, I'm all ears. In stock configuration.
Good Luck
 
I bought a used marlin 39a, it will shoot 1 moa at 50 yds with cci blazer ammo. It cost me less than 400 used. I have a cz 452 that was a little over 400 that shoots better, .3-.4 at 50yds, but requires the use of expensive target ammo to get that accuracy.
 
I have seen alot of 1/4-3/8" groups with Savage rimfire rifles. If you can't shoot under 1" you need to play with torque on the screws, and if that does not work, call Savage and send it back. I have see 100yd test groups under 1" with both the TR and the FV-SR. Go over to the Rimfire Central site and check out the Savage section. Most of the guys are not happy if they don't shoot sub 1/2" at 50 yds. and most of the rifles do. I am actually picking up an FV-SR today, and hopefully I will have some groups within a couple of weeks.
 
I have a husband/wife pair shooting a Savage in the BiPod class of my BR matches. The first ever match the husband shot in he shot one RBA 50 yard target of 235 which I thought was quite good for the rifle and the ammo [ Wolf iirc ]. The wife shot a 237 at our 100 yard target and the best in the class last match was a 240 so that's not too shabby. They are still trying to figure out their rear bag set up and other issues and they haven't shot many matches yet due to life intervening so they should improve.

I let them shoot my Hall after the last match so they may think about selling all their stuff and finding a Suhl or Annie 54 and shoot Unlimited.
 
I did this experiment a few years ago. Got a Savage Mk2, and put a Simmons 44mag scope on it. This was about as cheap as I could go. Initial accuracy was disappointing with many different types of ammo. Then I added the second action screw. The new ones have the second screw from the factory. There was a modest improvement with the second screw, but still not acceptable.

In frustration more than anything else I used the Tubb Final finish 22lr kit. It is supposed to fire lap the bore.
I had heard that it may increase accuracy, but never seems to harm anything. Well, the groups went from a little over 1MOA to a little over 1/2MOA at 50 yds. It shoots way better than I expected. I don't know if it is still available. It worked for me.

I used the gun in SB Hunter Silhouette class. I very happy with the gun.
 
I put a lot of work into my Marlin 980S (re-barreled, re-stocked, worked over trigger, etc). and it has shot lots of groups in the 1/4" range and smaller, but not very consistently. Compared to other rifles I've shot, it seems the main drawbacks (to me) are the ignition and trigger.

If you want consistent 1/2 MOA performance I recommend you look for a rifle designed for benchrest or smallbore competition from the start, not a relatively inexpensive sporter- and be prepared to shoot high dollar ammo like Eley Match to do it too.
 
TroyMN said:
Is the savage heavy barrel 22lr $ for $ a deal in accuracy? 1 MOA?
Any 22 lr to get 1/2 MOA... Little could you spend?
Thank you

Troy,
I own two Savage MKII's (a TR & BV) and both shoot 1/4" 5 shot groups at 50 yds with the right ammo. Rimfires, no matter the make, are very sensitive to the ammo you use. But moreover, you have to be realistic in your expectations and not expect a $400 rifle to perform like a $1200 - $3000 rifle. I own other Rimfire rifles, but for the money you are hard pressed to beat a Savage MKII out of the box and without "playing around" with it. And yes a Hall or Suhl (or any other custom rig) will outshoot a Savage. But then look how much you pay for those rifles. Last time I checked, a Hall action alone runs right at $1100. Not exactly wise to compare Apples to Oranges and a Savage is no Hall, Suhl, Myers, 40X or Anschutz to be sure. Just my opinion.
 
I have a Mossberg 144LS have changed the rear sight to mount a Redfield Palma sight with a two step front sight mount giving 50 ft to 100 yd just by moving the front sight, played with the stock to fit me 1/2 inch at 100 yd.
 
You can get a used CZ 453, or Anschutz MK 10 for $400 if you look long enough, or a used Stevens 416. I have/had all of these, and they will out shoot my son's tuned up LH savage MKII every time.
 
TroyMN said:
Is the savage heavy barrel 22lr $ for $ a deal in accuracy? 1 MOA?
Any 22 lr to get 1/2 MOA... Little could you spend?
Thank you

No, 1/2 moa or 1/4 moa at 50 yds will take a better gun and that will cost you some real money...

Chuck
 
No, 1/2 moa or 1/4 moa at 50 yds will take a better gun and that will cost you some real money...

Chuck
[/quote]

I have a 10/22 with a Kimber barrel, bedded, target hammer. With its favorite ammo ( happened to be cheap winchester HP 36 grain) of the 15 or so I tested. It would shoot 10 shot groups at 1-1.1 inches at 100 yards. I really thought a bolt target gun with less than 5000 rounds would be far more accurate.
 
I also have a customized/accurized 10-22 and I can regularly shoot 1/2 moa at 50yds with match ammo, never tried it at 100 yd.
I have GM 18" SS Grooved, Clark trigger kit to 2lbs, BCTHBR stock, 36X Tasco Japan
The gun is approx. $700 with mods.

I shoot the ARA, USBR targets at 50yds
 
I signed for a 22lr Romanian training rifle for my son when he was 15. It cost $125. He took it apart and refinished the stock, got a manual and started plinking. That thing will shoot 1/4-3/8 all day long. We haven't done an organized test to see differences in ammo. He is happy with it as it is. It may help having young eyes and the fact he shot precision competition air rifle al four years of high school. I think its probable the good eyes.
 
Geez guys. My old Mossberg shoots .25MOA angle all day long. Don't need windflags because it shoots through the wind.
HaHaHaHa!!!
 
Cripes, for a while there I thought I was on RFC! ;D At any rate, I've got an old J.C. Higgins my father bought in the late '50s and it shoots 1/2 groups at 10 yds. all day long with bulk ammo. ;D

In all seriousness, I'd look around for a nice used CZ in that price range.
 
Thanks for all the replies. If I can not get much better accuracy than my 10/22 I really do not see a need for a moderate priced bolt 22lr. But it sounds like the CZ 452 or 453 are better options than the savages.
Thanks again for the replies.
 
moorepower said:
I have seen alot of 1/4-3/8" groups with Savage rimfire rifles. If you can't shoot under 1" you need to play with torque on the screws, and if that does not work, call Savage and send it back. I have see 100yd test groups under 1" with both the TR and the FV-SR. Go over to the Rimfire Central site and check out the Savage section. Most of the guys are not happy if they don't shoot sub 1/2" at 50 yds. and most of the rifles do. I am actually picking up an FV-SR today, and hopefully I will have some groups within a couple of weeks.

I agree with playing with the torque of the action's screw. My humble Marlin 25 will shoot most anything under 1/2 at 50yds if I carefully tighten the action screw. Each make of bullet has it's preference. Find a bullet you prefer then buy a few bricks. Then spend about 1/2 hr slowly tightening up the action screw then mark it when the group shrinks. Vertical string means need slightly more tension, horizontal means too much tension, lousy group means keep tightening till you get a vertical or horizontal string then adjust as necessary. Usually more than one node. So far personal experience has been that when you hit the nodes at a higher tension they tend to be less prone to be affected by temp change.
 
for the money the REm 541 and 541t have out shot any thing you guys are talking about for me, i use them for pd out to 100 with cci mini mag and have do regrets

bob

dont ignore picing up a rem 504 and bedding i as the bbl is good the lock time is fast and they shoot.
 

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